The winners of the 2022 Elgin Image Awards were recognized Monday during a ceremony at the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin.
Five people were presented with Professional Rockstar Awards for their efforts in improving Elgin’s image. They were:
Sharry Lynn Blazier, director of the Elgin Public Museum;
Mike and Laurel Warren, volunteers for various Elgin nonprofits and civic organizations who have used their business, Brittain’s Express Car Wash, for fundraisers benefiting several groups;
Cherie Aschenbrenner, elderly service officer for the Elgin Police Department;
Krisilee Murphy, executive director of Explore Elgin Area, the local convention and visitors bureau.
Volunteer Extraordinaire Awards were presented to Jennifer Colby and Larry Henderson.
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Colby was honored for giving her time to projects and nonprofits that serve youth and for her involvement with charity events that support feeding, clothing, education, physical activity, dental health, spiritual growth and connection in the community.
Henderson’s volunteer efforts with the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin was the impetus for his honor, organizers said.
The Game Changer Project Award was given to the 2020 Census Team, a communitywide committee that oversaw an outreach effort to get an accurate count of the city’s population.
Elgin grew by 6% between 2010 and 2020, according to the U.S. Census, making it the sixth largest city in Illinois with more than 114,000 residents.
The Create a Difference Group Award for a Green Initiative went to Greater Kane County Wild Ones for their “Start in Your Yard” effort, which encourages people to plant native species in their home gardens.
Elgin Community College and the Elgin Area Pandemic Team at the Gail Borden Public Library were the recipients of Create a Difference Group Awards for Excellence in Diversity Equity & Inclusion or Building Equity.
ECC’s equity plan includes strategies to reduce the achievement gap for Black, Latinx and low-income students.
The Elgin Area Pandemic team worked with other organizations to help more than 1,800 people obtain COVID-19 vaccines, food, cleaning products, and utility bill and rental assistance.
The Create a Difference Youth Project Award went to the Lincoln Avenue Barber Shop.
Working with other barber shops and barber schools, the Windy City Bulls and the city of Elgin, the shop provided 115 free haircuts and gave away more than 200 backpacks during a back-to-school effort this year.
The Enhancing Elgin Committee of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce chose the recipients of the awards, which were not presented in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To view the event online, go to www.facebook.com/gailbordenpubliclibrary/videos/664657341901174.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.